!
Sir,
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(2.)
Note from Viscount Ishii to Mr. Lansing.
Washington, November 2, 1917. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of to-day communicating to me your understanding of the agreement reached by us in our recent conversations touching the questions of mutual interest to our Governments relating to the Republic of China.
I am happy to be able to confirm to you under the authorisation of Government the understanding in the question set forth in the following terms :-
my
In order to silence mischievous reports that have from time to time been circulated, it is believed by us that a public announcement once more of the desires and intentions shared by our two Governments with regard to China is advisable
The Governments of Japan and the United States recognise that territorial propinquity creates special relations between countries, and consequently the Government of the United States recognises that Japan has special interests in China, particularly in that part to which her possessions are contiguous-
The territorial sovereignty of China nevertheless remains unimpaired, and the Government of the United States has every confidence in the repeated assurances of the Imperial Japanese Government that, while geographical position gives Japan such special interests, they have no desire to discriminate against the trade of other nations or to disregard the commercial rights heretofore granted by China in the treaties with other Powers.
The Governments of Japan and the United States deny that they have any purpose to infringe in any way the independence or territorial integrity of China, and they declare furthermore that they always adhere to the principle of the so-called "open door" or equal opportunity of commerce and industry in China.
Moreover, they mutually declare that they are opposed to the acquisition by any Government of any special rights or privileges that would affect the independence or territorial integrity of China, or that would deny to the subjects or citizens of any country the full enjoyment of equal opportunity in the commerce and industry of China.
I take this opportunity, &c.
ISHII.
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
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0.
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
61261
CONFIDENTIAL.
REC
[213773]
REG 14 DEC '7
No. 1.
Mr. Page to Mr. Balfour.-(Received November 8.)
372
[November 8.]
SECTION 1.
THE American Ambassador presents his compliments to His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and has the honour to transmit, herewith enclosed, for Mr. Balfour's information, a copy of a note which the Secretary of State in Washington ad-tressed to Viscount Ishii, Special Ambassador of Japan, with reference to the policy of the United States and Japan in regard to China,
Viscount Ishii, in his reply, confirmed verbatim the understanding set forth in Mr. Lansing's note.
In giving these communications to the press on the 6th November, Mr. Lausing issued a statement, of which a copy is also enclosed herewith. Mr. Page would be greatly obliged if Mr. Balfour would be good enough to cause Mr. Lansing's statement to be given to the British press,
London, November 7, 1917.
Enclosure in No. 1.
Statement issued to the Press by Mr. Lansing.
VISCOUNT ISHII and the other Japanese commissioners, who are now on their way back to their country, have performed a service to the United States as well as to Japan which is of the highest value. There had unquestionably been growing up between the peoples of the two countries a feeling of suspicion as to the motives inducing the activities of the other in the Far East, a feeling which, if unchecked. promised to develop a serious situation. Rumours and reports of improper intentions were increasing, and were more and more believed; legitimate commercial and industrial enterprises without ulterior motives were presumed to have political significance, with the result that opposition to those enterprises was aroused in the other country.
The attitude of constraint and doubt thus created was fostered and encouraged by the campaign of falsehood which for a long time had been adroitly and secretly carried on by Germans, whose Government, as a part of its foreign policy, desired especially so to alienate this country and Japan that it would be, at the choser time, no difficult task to cause a rupture of their good relations. Unfortunately there were people in both countries, many of whom were entirely honest in their beliefs, who accepted every false rumour as true, and aided the German propaganda by declaring that their own Government should prepare for the conflict, which, they asserted, was inevitable, that the interests of the two nations in the Far East were hostile, and that every activity of the other country in the Pacific had a sinister purpose.
Fortunately this distrust was net so general in either the United States or Japan as to affect the friendly relations of the two Governments, but there is no doubt that the feeling of suspicion was increasing, and the untrue reports were receiving more and more credence in spite of the earnest efforts which were made on both sides of the Pacific to counteract a movement which would jeopardise the ancient friendship of the two nations.
The visit of Viscount Ishii and his colleagues has accomplished a great change of opinion in this country. By frankly denouncing the evil influences which have been at work, by openly proclaiming that the policy of Japan is not one of aggression, and by declaring that there is no intention to take advantage commercially or industrially of the special relations to China created by geographical position, the representatives of Japan have cleared the diplomatic atmosphere of the suspicion which had been so carefully spread by our enemies and by misguided or over-zealous people in both countries. In a few days the propaganda of years has been undone, and both nations are now able to see how near they came to being led into the trap which had been skilfully set for them.
* For text see 212689 (Japanese Ambassador's memorandum of November 3.) [2745 h-1]
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